Canine sebaceous glands.

The sebacous glands secrete an oily substance, sebum, which acts as an antibacterial agent and, in hairly mammals, as a waterproofing agent. Usually, the sebaceous glands are associated with ahir follicles and empty their secretion into the pilosebaceous canal of the follicle. The secretory droplets in the cells contain lipid which is extracted in tissue processing, thus giving the cells a vacuolated appearance. The cells secrete by the holocrine mode in which the cell disintegrates, releasing the product into the duct. In this micrograph you can see some of the disintegrated cells (a few still with pyknotic nuclei). The mass of secretory cells is enclosed by a single layer of low cuboidal cells sitting on a basal lamina. Original mag. 50x. H&E Sebaceous glands. Skin appendages. Integument System. Dog.